


Nothing But You And Me

by storytime



Category: Political Animals
Genre: TJ plays piano, Talk of leaving politics, cocaine addiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2437583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storytime/pseuds/storytime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doug offers to be his brother's anchor to help him get clean once and for all even if that means getting away from their family and politics, especially if it means getting away from their family and politics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing But You And Me

Doug finds his brother sitting at the piano. The house is empty and silent as he sits next to TJ on the piano bench. He doesn’t know where everyone else is; he doesn’t care if he’s honest.

 

“Last year… you were clean for six months.”

“I remember.”

“It was because of him, wasn’t it?”

“He kept me going,” TJ admits. “He loved me and I loved him. He believed in me, he wasn’t waiting for me to fuck up.”

“I believe in you.”

“I know you do Doug, more than the rest of them.”

“Use me then.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were sober and clean because you had someone to channel it into. So use me.”

“It doesn’t work that way Dougie.”

“Because someone says so? You did so well last year and I was so proud of you.”

“I let you down.”

Doug shakes his head. “No, this family let you down. Our family and our obsessions with politics. If it hadn’t been for that you would have made it.”

“Maybe, it doesn’t matter I still failed.”

“He broke your heart and Mom stood by and let them use you as ammunition for their own games.”

“That’s what it means to be a Hammond, right?” TJ says bitterly. “You either use people or you get used.”

“You never signed up for it.”

“Neither of us did Dougie, we just grew up in the fishbowl.”

“I’m in politics now though, I might not have signed up initially but I renewed the lease.”

“You ever wish you hadn’t?”

“More than I thought I would,” He says honestly. “I love politics but I think I love the idea more than the thing itself. I want top make a change. It’s not about that thought; it’s about games and petty grudges. Mom’s campaigns drive me insane and she keeps letting dad in when we know he’s nothing but a cheating publicity hound. He wants back into the game and he’ll use her because he knows she’s sentimental enough to swallow his bullshit.”

 

They sit in silence for a while before TJ starts playing the piano. Doug knows it’s nothing more than pressing random keys, he’s watched his brother enough to know it’s not any composition his brother has burned into the back of his mind.

 

“We should go away for a while.”

TJ’s hands slip and piano makes a horrible sound. “What?”

“I’ll quit and we go somewhere, just us. No politics, no press, nothing but you and me.”

“I can’t ask that of you. You’ve got a life, a _good_ life.”

Doug scoffs. “I cheated on my fiancé, slept with the reporter that has been trying to undermine Mom for years and gave you fifty thousand dollars for a nightclub without bothering to make sure they didn’t screw you over.”

“I’m not your responsibility Dougie.”

 

He’s not but he is Doug’s twin and it’s always been them against the world. They both need to get away anyway, everyone else be damned.  


End file.
